A Thousand Splendid Suns in Pick-a-Shelf

Aug 29, 2021 Lynai rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own-a-copy, 2021-books

An emotional read. Very timely and relevant. More thoughts soon.

***UPDATE***

“There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school...Only one skill. And it’s this: tahamul. Endure.”

A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini

While I had been eyeing A Thousand Splendid Suns for quite sometime already, I felt that I might not have the emotional preparedness to read a heart-breaking story as described by reviews I read online. Until last month, whe An emotional read. Very timely and relevant. More thoughts soon.

***UPDATE***

“There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school...Only one skill. And it’s this: tahamul. Endure.”

A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini

While I had been eyeing A Thousand Splendid Suns for quite sometime already, I felt that I might not have the emotional preparedness to read a heart-breaking story as described by reviews I read online. Until last month, when news of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan broke out. It was heartbreaking to see scenes happen in real life when I only imagined them while reading The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini's other novel.

A Thousand Splendid Suns taught me a lot about the women in Afghanistan - their culture, their struggles, the differences among them. It gave me a clearer picture of how it is to be an Afghan woman, and what it takes to enjoy the freedoms that other women in other parts of the world have the privilege of enjoying.

But more than the history lessons, I am more engrossed of the women characters. After all, it is about them that this book was written based on the author's note. Both Mariam and Laila are remarkable characters. Their intertwined stories share similarities but they also reflect the reality that not all women have equal opportunities. In fact, the other women in the story (Nana, Fariba) are shown to deal differently with adversity. And as expected, I cried, perhaps a lot more than in The Kite Runner. The losses and the tragedy that fell upon the characters tore at me and also made me mad (If only they gave up their pride!) but if there's one thing that this book affirmed for me, it is this: that women are brave and they can be brave if they want to.

This is my favorite read for August. But I don't think I'm ready for another Khaled Hosseini book soon. Let's continue to include Afghanistan in our prayers.

5/5 stars.
09.16.2021 #lynaireads2021 #lynaireads #AThousandSplendidSuns #KhaledHosseini ...more

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May 20, 2011 Bea rated it really liked it

I loved this book. It kept me engaged throughout the full book. And, when I did start to get a bit bogged down with emotion, Mr. Hosseini changed his format to alternate between the two women (part 3), which gave me a bit of a break.

I recognize that there are brutal men everywhere. Many times it is the women who suffer, but sometimes it is expressed in genocide. It does not make it right...the fact that brutality exists universally, but that concept helps me to accept the fact of the brutality e ...more

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Nov 04, 2008 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: afghanistan, still-owned

This is a magnificent story of the hardship, cruelty and violence which many women in Afghanistan face thanks to the culture, the unrest and the religion of the country. However, rather than being a depressing expose of the basest aspects of human (often male) nature, this book carries hope. Despite the situation the two protagonists are forced to survive under, through the love between these two women, a defiance is born. And that defiance brings a final reckoning.

This book made me furiously an ...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Keith rated it it was amazing

This was a fantastic book!!! So glad I decided to read this book after reading The Kite Runner!! Anyone interested in reading a wonderful epic story is in for a real treat!!!!

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